Tag Archives: barrow

I have recently relocated to Barrow, Alaska: America’s northern most city located several hundred miles inside the Arctic Circle. All food is flown in and as such I’ve been enjoying the cringe worthy and laugh out loud insanity of the food prices. I’ll often chuckle, laugh, or indignantly snort out loud at the outrageous prices when shopping. No one has looked at me strangely for doing so in the grocery store, so it’s likely a normal reaction for the recently relocated.

I aim to update this table with new Barrow food price entries as I buy or come across new products to help those who are thinking of accepting a job here get a better idea of their food expenses. I don’t care enough or have nearly enough time to continually go back and check old prices, so it will mostly be updated with the addition of new things. One last note, I’m listing the prices at the regular price. Some of the items I have bought were at a sale price with a few cents off the listed price. There is usually one or two buy one get one items at the AC as well, those special prices have not been reflected in this table as they are the exception and not the rule. Unless otherwise noted, all prices are from the AC Value Store.

Barrow Food Prices as of September to December 2014 at the AC Value Store

Item (Details)

Brand

Size

Price

Bread (factory made)

Orowheat

1.5 lbs

$7.93

Laundry detergent

Tide

1.3 gallons

$49.99

Bread (French, ‘fresh made’ rebaked)

AC store bakery

$3.99

Frozen vegetables (Steamable)

Birdseye

10.8 oz

$4.15

Eggs

—

1 dozen

$5.25

Bananas

—

1 lb

$2.99

Candy bar

Caramello

$1.29

Meat, sliced (Processed meat, turkey)

Oscar Meyer

12 oz

$6.69

Vitamins (400 IU Vitamin D)

Natures Bounty

100 tablets

$5.69

Bottled water (500 mL bottles)

Super Chill

24 bottles

$29.95

Bottled water (500 mL bottles)

Dasani

1 bottle

$2.00

Laundry detergent

Tide

50 oz

$12.49

Cheese (colby jack)

Crescent Valley

8 oz

$6.39

Cheese (provolone)

Crescent Valley

8 oz

$6.39

Vegetable shortening

Crisco

1 lb

$5.99

Juice, Orange (frozen concentrated)

Minute Maid

16 oz

$6.73

Tomatoes

—

1 lb

$4.79

Steak Sauce

A1

5 oz

$4.52

Milk (2%, lactose free)

Darigold

½ gallon

$8.85

Lettuce (Romaine, bagged prewashed)

Fresh Express

9 oz

$5.69

Salt, Kosher

Morton’s

1 lb

$4.52

Eggs

—

1.5 dozen

$7.35

Watermelon (small, “personal watermelon”

—

varies

$19.99

Meat, sliced (Processed meat, turkey and pork)

Oscar Meyer

1 lb

$7.99

Sweet Potatoes

—

1 lb

$3.29

Kale

—

varies, one bunch

$3.59

Strudels (frozen)

Pillsbury

1 box

$5.65

Onions, yellow

—

1 lb

$2.99

Soy milk (unrefrigerated carton)

Pacific

32 oz

$5.89

Yogurt, Greek fruit on the bottom

Chobani

1 cup

$2.65

Baking powder

Clabber girl

8.3 oz

$4.39

Tomatoes, plum

—

1 lb

$4.29

Pasta sauce, marinara

Prego

23 oz

$6.85

Beef, steak (NY Strip)

—

1 lb

$15.99

Beef, ground (80% lean)

—

1 lb

$5.68

Pasta, dry whole wheat (penne)

Wild Harvest

12.1 oz

$3.53

Soy milk (unrefrigerated carton)

Kirkland Signature

32 oz

$4.97

Potatoes (Russet)

—

10 lb

$24.00

Cigarettes

American Spirit (Blue)

1 box

$11.65

Oranges, canned (Mandarin)

Dole

15 oz

$3.99

Mayonnaise

Essential everyday

15 oz

$5.49

Tuna, canned (chunk light in water)

StarKist

5 oz

$1.20

Raisins

Sunmaid

6 oz

$2.89

Kidney beans, canned

Essential everyday

15 oz

$2.99

Tilapia filets, frozen

—

1 lb

$8.99

Chicken breast, canned (white)

Swanson

4.5 oz

$3.65

Bottled water (500 mL bottles)

Nestle Pure Life

35 bottles

$40.79

Marinade, bottled

Lawry’s

12 oz

$6.53

Apple cider (sparkling, nonalcoholic)

Martinelli’s

20 oz

$7.99

Cranberry sauce (canned)

Oceanspray

14 oz

$3.45

Cheese, shredded (Mexican mix)

Kraft

8 oz

$7.65

Cereal (generic)

Malt-o-Meal

2 lbs 6 oz

$11.99

Macaroni and Cheese (boxed)

Kraft

5.5 oz

$3.45

Soup, condensed (canned)

Campbell’s

1 can

$3.99

Butter (unsalted)

Darigold

1 lb

$7.49

Lettuce (Romaine)

—

1 bunch

$4.99

Potato chips, kettle cooked (Jalapeno)

Lay’s

8 oz

$9.49

Potato chips, cheese puffs (Crunchy)

Cheetos

9 oz

$8.79

Potato crisps (BBQ)

Pringles

1 tube

$3.99

Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl)

—

16 oz

$6.99

Ketchup

Heinz

2 lbs

$8.33

Mustard, yellow

French’s

8 oz

$3.19

Hot sauce

Frank’s

12 oz

$5.89

Bread (hot dog buns)

Ball Park

8 ct

$4.00

Fruit, mixed dried

Sunmaid

7 oz

$5.19

Hotdogs (Turkey)

3 lbs

$13.99

Soda

Varies

1 can

$1.39

Tortillas (fajita)

Mission

20 ct

$4.99

Pizza sauce

Ragu

14 oz

$3.99

“LOW PRICE” Bottled Water

It may be cheaper to just buy new pair of underwear everyday like George Costanza

A note on fresh fruits & vegetables:

The AC has a fantastic supply of fresh fruit and vegetables when viewed in the context of the challenging logistics of getting perishable produce on the shelf in the Arctic Circle. With that said, a lot of Barrow locals look to Full Circle Farms for their supply of fruits and veggies. Full Circle is a service that delivers fresh organic produce on a weekly basis. It’s one of those internet services that sends a box of goodies that you can modify and that you receive weekly. It’s based out of Washington state and the boxes spend a minimum amount of time in transit. I started using it and have been happy with the service thus far. I’m not convinced that the price is really cheaper than buying in Barrow, but the variety is excellent and I suppose that it is a reasonable price for organic produce flown into the nether regions of Alaska. See their website for more information on their various packages and tiers.